Fredwarshi no Ahiru by Ushijima Keiko
Volume I Part 2
God Help Me
Translation in English by Y.W
natane@geocities.com
This translation may not be 100% accurate as I tried to make the whole thing "flow" better and
because my Japanese is by no mean perfect! :)
10:47 PM 11/25/98
Key
{ } = labels placed by the author
[ ] = action by characters
( ) = speech bubble/ thought
< > = sounds
___________
In a grocery store
Kevin Paying.
(My name is Kevin Fredward, a few months ago I was a reasonably popular suspense
writer.
Store owner Please.
Kevin {Did I forget anything?}
(Now I'm just an ordinary writer....because of that...)
{POVERTY STRICKEN!!}.
Sir I only need one soap, not all three.
Store owner Come on, it's good value! one pack three soaps.
[Money exchanged hands]
Thank you.
Kevin Well...even if I don't have any money, maybe I can last for a few more years. At
least by myself.
Rosemary Oh thank you Kevin. Shopping took you an hour, I thought you must have fell in a
river or something.
Kevin (But the person who became my comforter is my duck housekeeper who's tyrannical
and talks too much. But she also had a wide experience and earns a high wage)
Shopping is your job! don't tell your employer to do it then!
[Sitting on top of the car's roof knitting]
Rosemary What are you going to do if they capture me and sell me to a television station!
After that I'm probably going to be their main course!
Kevin (I can't say anything back).
Rosemary [Holding a victory sign].
If you want to say anything say it now.
Kevin (I don't know why I can't be angry with her.)
Why don't you just call me by my name Rosemary?
Rosemary It doesn't feel right.
Kevin (It's difficult to believe she can speak English perfectly and run the house.
Sometimes, when I look at her figure in the kitchen I can see a resemblance to my
grand mother. If I remember correctly she was also quite strong).
Grandmother Hey Kevin! [Brandishing a rolling pin]
Kevin Come Rosemary, get in the car, if someone saw you like that you're probably going
to be Peking Duck.
Rosemary Look at that!
A group of bullies surrounded a younger boy.
Rosemary Stop it! Don't you feel sorry for that child surrounded by that mob!
Kevin Let him be, I don't like children.
Rosemary Kevin?! Why are you acting like this? then let me do it!
Kevin You don't understand, look at that boy standing in the corner. He's aware we're
watching him, he's their watcher. His job is to notify them if anyone's looking.
This is not just a children's fight, it's a system of street government.
Rosemary Government?!
Kevin If he does it now, next time he'll be hurt more. By punishing him like that, the
gang leader is imposing his power. The strong will never be strong again, and the
weak will never oppose him. When that member can no longer feel the pain, the
others will think that maybe this child can be the next gang leader.
I'm used to this.
What this boy needs now is not our help, but his own strength.
That's the law of the street gangs, maybe it's rather rare in these country area.
Rosemary (? Is that so?)
(Before he became a famous writer, Kevin ran away from home and joined that type
of world. Is it wise leaving it like that? Should I help that boy?)
Kevin Rosemary, I'm going to town tomorrow morning, do you want anything?
Small towns are impractical aren't they? Just ordering disk takes three days!
(Oh yum, preserved fruits)
Are you still worried about what happened this morning?
Rosemary Yes, is it wise leaving it like that?
Kevin I don't know.
[Dips his fingers into the preserve]
Rosemary YOU!!
Kevin If he was you I would help without even thinking about it.
(It's probably unnecessary)
Rosemary I'm not talking about that!!
Kevin If the person's female ofcourse I would help.
Rosemary You're hopeless!!
Kevin Ooowww!
Next day
Kevin I would like to buy this magazine.
{Thrashed by Rosemary last night}
That boy from yesterday.
Shop keeper That boy had been staring at the books for an hour. Two weeks ago, his mother
took him to this town. His mother is a singer at a bar. When his mother is busy
he's left by himself like that. Gossip spreads quickly in a small town.
Kevin (His clothes are torn and stained, same clothes as yesterday).
You were thrashed yesterday weren't you? After that you cried when you went to
bed.
Boy I DIDN'T CRY !! Honestly, I didn't cry! [His face is red]
Kevin Pff (I was right) [Tried not to laugh]
Boy I didn't cry!
You're weird giving me food.
Kevin I thought so too.
Boy If you're a kidnapper, I'm very poor.
Kevin I know.
Boy Then you must be a child trader. (I'm not bad looking).
Kevin Hurry up and order!!
(Why did I talk to him, how annoying)
Any cigarette?
Cafe owner You're new to this cafe aren't you sir? The odd writer from the city, right?
The rich guy who bought the house at the edge of the lake.
Kevin (The gossip is also unbearable) Yeah.
Boy I want some too.
Kevin Then buy it yourself. What do you want to order?
Boy I can't read.
Kevin Fine...then I'll choose.
Boy Aren't you going to eat?
Kevin My housekeeper would be angry if I eat out without her permission.
Boy Wow she's like your wife
Kevin (You) You're too young to know.
Boy You're different to the other adults. You didn't ask about my school or my
parents.
Kevin I don't care. The bill please.
Cafe owner How was the food?
Kevin Not bad.
Cafe owner Hey sir! I don't want to talk, but it's better if you avoid that kid. If you're
nice to a kid like that, he'll be a pest. Not only that, do you know his mother?
Kevin (When I was younger I hate people like him, then again, he's only human)
Thanks.
(Now I'm also like them, I put myself first.)
Goodbye.
Boy Thank you for the food, my name is Cliff.
Kevin (I don't know when, or where, but I have seen a pair of eyes like that boy's.
I can't remember whose or where...)
Rosemary!
Rosemary was tied up with a bemused expression on her face.
Kevin Who did this?!
Cliff Catch it quick!! She was folding the laundry!!
Kevin You!! What the hell are you doing here!!
Cliff I asked the town people where you live then I walk here. Everyone knows about
the weird writer living at the edge of the lake. Hey we can sell this duck for a
high price you know!!
Rosemary Hey! what are you talking about? Come here.
[Dragged Cliff by the ear to the bath]
When was your last bath young man?
Cliff I hate baths!
[Splashed water on to Rosemary's face]
Rosemary This boy...DON'T MOVE!!
Cliff Ouwww...ouwwww!!
[Scrubbed]
[STEAMED]
Hot!!
Rosemary Not at all!!
Cliff [Powdered]
Rosemary Until your clothes are clean wear Kevin's clothes.
Cliff What a big house.
Rosemary Even though it is August, it can be a little chilly in these area, so wear this.
[Wraps him in a blanket]
Here's hot chocolate
Cliff Hooray!
Kevin Hand writing book and my old primer that my brothers gave me so I can read and
write before I entered school.
Cliff *flash back*
I can't read.
Kevin Oi! This book...(those eyes).
Cliff What is it Kevin?
Kevin (Now I remember, soft and sleepy. Similar to the kitten's eyes I picked up when
I was a boy).
Kevin (boy) Mum?
Mother No Kevin, that cat's fur is not good for the baby.
Kevin (boy) Then can I give him some milk?
Mother Put it away where you found it.
Kevin (boy) I'm sorry, I hope someone else can take care of you.
Kevin (now) (The kitten I found at the edge of a road, on my way to school. It was so soft
and light, and I can remember the smell of milk attached to him.
That night it poured)
Kevin (boy) (The kitten!)
Kevin (I don't know how he could find my house, in the dark and rain, I couldn't see
its face. That kitten kept on crying , trying to find me, blaming me all night
long.
Why did I threw it away?
I brought him home when I know I could never take care of him. I gave him milk
and tried to be kind to him.
When what I really did was betray his trust, a mistake which was cruel and
unkind.)
Cliff What's wrong Kevin?
Kevin Nothing.
(From then on, I don't care about stray dogs or cats. I was afraid I would
repeat what I did with the kitten.)
Rosemary Kevin, that boy went home. Won't you walk him home?
Kevin Rosemary! Forget about him.
Rosemary Yes.
Kevin (He went home as cheerfully as he did when he came here. Secretly Rosemary, walked
him home halfway)
Walking to the town for an hour, she won't even answer when I call her.
(Starving)
Meddlesome duck.
Kevin (The next day...he came back again as cheerful as he was yesterday)
Cliff Kevin look I have a gift for you! it's a frog!
Kevin (The next day as well)
Cliff {This time it's a lizard}
Kevin (And the next day)
Cliff {This time it's a snake}
Kevin (His actions get worse everyday)
My Armani suit!
[A male garden statue was wearing it]
(Thankfully he listens to Rosemary)
Kevin (Then a week later....he still comes here every day!)
Cliff Kevin!
Rosemary (It's because you spoil him).
Cliff Look my mother bought me new clothes! What do you think?
Kevin You're noisy, I'm trying to work.
Cliff [Grabs a vase and breaks it to get Kevin's attention]
Kevin Don't make trouble for other people.
(My work is reaching its climax and lately I have become rather moody)
Cliff Rosemary. I hate Kevin
Rosemary Then why do you come here everyday?
Cliff I wanted to see Rosemary!
Rosemary [silence]
Cliff I wanted to say something to him today.
Kevin I'm finished! (Five long months!)
[Tears of joy]
Rosemary You're finished? congratulations. You hardly eat, or sleep, and you're too thin.
Kevin Is he gone yet?
Rosemary Eh? No he said he wanted to tell you something, maybe he's in the study.
Kevin (I didn't see him in the study)
Hey are you here?
[Switches on the light]
[Entered the room and sees his work scattered around the floor).
My work?
Cliff Kevin!
Kevin (My floppy disk!)
Don't touch that!
[Slaps Cliff]
Rosemary [Looks around the room]
Kevin? this?
Kevin Don't you ever come back here again, I don't want to see your face.
Cliff Waa...
Rosemary Cliff!
Kevin Don't chase him Rosemary.
Rosemary You've gone too far, he's only a child.
Kevin At least the floppy disks are fine. If I type this one with a typing machine...
that's why this isn't a toy!!
Rosemary You...what are you afraid of? Did you know that boy comes here everyday to meet
you? He liked you.
Kevin (Impossible, I never acted to be likeable to any child.)
Rosemary As you've hoped, Cliff will not come back again. Tomorrow his mother is leaving
the town on the first train back. He came here today to say goodbye to you.
[Slams the door]
Phantom You did it again.
Kevin Who is it?!
Phantom You haven't changed at all, like the time you threw this kitten away 23 years
ago. What Rosemary said was right, you're afraid.
Afraid that Cliff might get hurt? No, not that. You're afraid that if you hurt
him, you yourself will also be hurt...isn't that so?
Kevin [Looked at a crumpled piece of paper. Cliff had scrawled Kevin's name on it]
He remembered how to spell my name more than his own, stupid boy!
No I'm the stupid one...I liked him.
Train station
Cliff Mama!
[He looked back and saw that she was sleeping, suddenly Kevin appeared outside
the train's window.]
Kevin (The words I wanted to say seemed to be stuck).
This is from Rosemary, breakfast and lunch for two. I'll put it here, and...
here's from me, so that you can memorize your alphabet.
Cliff I...I hate you!
Kevin [His hand reached for Cliff, and then he kissed Cliff on his cheek]
Goodbye Cliff.
(His voice didn't reach me, maybe I'll never see him again. I can only pray
..and please God bless him and God bless me)
(
geocities.com/tokyo/towers) (
geocities.com/tokyo)